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Le'Veon Bell is one of the best running backs in the NFL, but the former Michigan State star made a big bet on himself this summer.

Bell, who has served two NFL suspensions and suffered one major knee injury in the past two seasons, reportedly turned down a five-year contract extension that would have paid him more than $12 million per season and is playing this fall on the franchise tag.

A free-agent-to-be in 2018, Bell said in a conference call with Detroit reporters Wednesday he has put his contract situation aside — he turned down the deal at the franchise tag deadline, and didn't sign his contract tender until Sept. 4 — to help the Pittsburgh Steelers chase a Super Bowl.

The Lions (3-3) host the Steelers (5-2) in their return from a bye Sunday at Ford Field.

"Honestly, I’m going to let everything handle itself," Bell said. "I’m going to go to practice today, I’m going to play this Sunday, go out there and try to get a W and try to continue that throughout the rest of the season. And then when the off-season comes that’ll handle itself."

Bell has established himself as one of the most dangerous offensive players in the NFL, a dual-threat running back who teams with former Central Michigan receiver Antonio Brown to give the Steelers a 1-2 punch few NFL teams can match.

Bell ranks second in the league in rushing with 684 yards, and his 33 receptions would lead 15 different teams. Brown leads the NFL with 765 yards receiving.

"Personally I don’t think (there's a better running back-receiver combo in the NFL)," Bell said. "I think A.B., outside he’s the best receiver in the world. There’s not too many guys who do the things that he does."

Bell has matured tremendously as a player since he left Michigan State following his 1,793-yard junior season, but he still faces a tall task to convince a team to give him the $15 million or so annually he seeks on his next deal.

He turns 26 years old in February and he's closing in on 1,100 career carries, though he said the amount of touches he gets in the Steelers' offense "is of no concern to me at all."

"I know I take care of my body," Bell said. "Even when I do get carries I’m either getting out of bounds or I’m getting to the ground. ... I think I’m more so delivering punishment than receiving punishment and I’m protecting myself. So that’s the biggest thing for me. As long as I’m getting up off the ground with the ball, I’m not taking a square hit to my legs or my shoulders and neck area and I’m getting to the ground and protecting myself."

Le'Veon Bell has rushed for at least 130 yards in three of the Steelers' past four games.(Photo: Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Sports)

Bell had an impressive rookie season in 2013, when he faced the Lions for the only other time in his career, and he has played at a Pro Bowl-level since.

In 2014, Bell ran for 1,361 yards and caught 83 passes, and after injuries and suspensions derailed his 2015, he ran for 1,268 yards and caught 75 more balls in 12 games last year.

This year, Bell might be playing at an even higher level, especially considering he missed all of training camp. He has run for more than 130 yards in three of the Steelers' past four games, and in last week's 29-14 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, he had a 42-yard catch.

Bell said he's a fan of other NFL running backs like David Johnson, LeSean McCoy and Leonard Fournette, who he called "one of my favorite guys" to watch.

And he said NFL teams realize the value of dual-threat running backs and are "slowly see(ing) you kind of need the running backs to make plays so the offense can go."

"Our personality doesn’t change," Bell said. "Usually when you’ve got two running backs coming in and out, there’s two different style of backs. So you have a bigger back or a smaller back coming in and out, it seems like the plays are called differently. So when a small back is in, the defense can game plan for a smaller back being in, or they can game plan for a bigger back being in.

"And I think for me, just being balanced and not having the offense have to change, that’s not allowing the defense to be able to gear to what we got going on because the whole playbook is open. That’s very important."